People Show You Who They Really Are
by Palgrave Goldenrod
Summary: A knife really makes people open up about what's inside. Part of the Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before series.


**Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before: People Show You Who They Really Are**

**Author**: Palgrave

**Fandom(s):** _The Dark Knight / Castle_

**Rating:** PG-13

**Disclaimer:** The Joker and all _Batman_ related characters, concepts, situations etc property of Time-Warner and DC Comics. _Castle_ and all related characters, concepts, situations etc property of Andrew Marlowe, Beacon Pictures and ABC Studios.

**Author's Notes:** Part of the _Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before_ series, which is basically a glorified way of me trying to cram Ledger!Joker into as many short-fic crossovers as I can possibly think of. All feedback welcome, as long as it's constructive.

**Summary:** A knife really makes people open up about what's inside.

* * *

_It's the same question, every time. Only the answers change._

_They always want to know. Deep down. Even as the ants cringe away from him in terror, their eyes are drawn to his scars, to the Glasgow smile torn raggedly into his cheeks, a permanent angry red smile at the madness of the world and the joke that only he is willing to get._

_They always want to know. And so he offers to satisfy their curiosity._

_Every time, the same question._

"_Do you want to know," The Joker asks, licking his lips, "how I got these scars?"_

_Except even the Joker isn't prepared for some of the answers he gets._

* * *

"I can have a guess," Richard Castle ventures nervously, not really enjoying the closeness of the Joker's blade to his neck. "Gambling debts? Were you tortured by members of the Romanian mob when you couldn't cough up the cash? No, that's not really dramatic enough for you. Ooh, how about this; you were a member of a highly classified black ops unit sent deep undercover to infiltrate a terrorist cell in Afghanistan, except your cover was blown by a traitor in the Pentagon and after being tortured and left for dead, you've returned to take bloody revenge on the world - "

Oooh, the Joker _likes_ this guy. Creative _and_ annoying. It'll be fun killing him.

"Castle!" Detective Kate Beckett barks, the seemingly steady pose and cool manner as she points her weapon at them belied by the sheer panic the Joker can see flaring in her eyes as his blade inches closer to the novelist's throat (_ooooh_, someone's in _looooove_, that'll make gutting him like a pig _sooo_ much more fun...). "Do not _engage_ with him!"

"Sorry," Castle mumbles sheepishly.

"No no," The Joker replies, speaking directly into Castle's ear as a lover would, "don't apologise. You're a good storyteller. Any more ideas?"

Detective Beckett speaks before Castle can start digging himself deeper (he actually does have a few more ideas, including a really cool one about some kind of alien sleeper agent, but he's getting the feeling this isn't the time). "There's no way out of here," she says, voice calm. Reasonable. Rational. The Joker _hates_ calm, rational, reasonable people. "You're surrounded. You can still walk away from this. Things don't have to end badly here."

"Maybe not," The Joker reasons, "but you have to be honest; it'd be kind of _fun_ if they did, wouldn't it? I mean, not for your boyfriend here, of course, 'cause he's gonna die (horribly), but _I'm_ certainly enjoying myself, and don't tell me you're not getting kind of a thrill as well. You look the type." He licks his lips again.

Detective Beckett shifts slightly. It could just be maintaining her position. Or her composure slipping slightly. The Joker's getting a distinct 'lost someone she loves to violence' vibe here. That should make things interesting.

"And you can't deny, you'd be a hero. They'd probably make you a whole new medal for plugging me, Detective. And that'd probably take the edge off me sticking your boyfriend like a pig, wouldn't it? Just a bit?"

It's possible Detective Beckett's gun shakes slightly.

"And I've said this before, but you never really know what kind of person a man is until he's bleeding to death. So whaddaya say, Detective? Wanna find out what kind of guy you've _really_ been doing all this time?'

"Don't," Detective Beckett breathes out, voice ragged. "Don't you... you do, you die. You understand me? You even think of hurting him, I will put a goddamn bullet in your head."

"That's the way," The Joker smiles sweetly (well, as sweetly as he can manage, anyway), and raises the knife to Richard Castle's neck.

Unfortunately, it seems that Richard Castle is not as inexperienced at getting out of hostage situations as the Joker anticipated.


End file.
